Living this miserable marriage life made him realize. He doesn't need her opened-heart or demanded for the girl to reciprocate his feelings. He loved her and was content to see her smile. That was the only thing he wanted from his wife.
Chleo didn't have to be with him if it only made her suffer and wretched. Thus, he would let her go, and he would get out of her life for good even though he knew the consequence.
Axel could never die and perhaps would never be mortal for thousand years. He might as well be the oldest blue king this world ever had.
His heartfelt dark, and his body seemed to be carrying an invisible burden that weighed more than he could handle. Axel went into the house to rest for a few hours before finally off to work again. He knew Chleo didn't want to see his face, so he always made sure he'd leave before she woke up.
He thought that his wife was asleep because she never waited for him to come home. Hence, he was stunned when she noticed the woman he loved was sleeping on the sofa.
Why is that girl sleeping here?
Axel approached her and looked at her angelic face with an all-embracing longing to the point it ached his heart. He picked her slender body with great care before bringing her to her room. Axel laid her on the girl's bed himself then covered her with a blanket.
He stroked his wife's cheek gently with his trademark sad smile.
"It feels so hard to let you go. But... I will do it if it's the only thing that could make you less suffering."
After being satisfied looking at his wife's face, Axel went out and closed the door.
Little did he know, his wife already awake when he picked her up in bridal style. She wanted to open her eyes and talked to her husband, but she was too comfortable in his arms to the point she had forgotten her main goal.
She was afraid his warm hand and gentle touch on her cheek would vanish once she opened her eyes. Now she regretted it. She should open her eyes and call him before the man walked out of her room.
Chleo should make a move when her husband settled her down on her soft mattress and talked... to put thins in the right path.
However, she was too sad and felt remorse when she heard his statement. When she finally opened her eyes to call him, Axel has already gone, and it made her tears wetted her cheeks.
Chleo never knew his embrace was so warm, so gentle, so caring... She never presumes the man's presence could bring comfort to her.
What had she done? She had closed her heart to that kind of person?!
If only she were willing to open her heart... if only she weren't too blind by her hatred... She found it was not that hard to fall for such a guy.
He was extremely kind, had limitless patience, and uttered some good jokes that made her laugh to the point it made her forget all of her worries and stress.
During her stay in Seattle, this man always took care of her. He was listening to every her confiding, faithfully accompanying her, and even lending his shoulders when she cried over something.
And when she was sick, even though she gave him the cold shoulder, she could feel his tenderness when he took care of her.
What is this feeling? It was different from how she felt toward Alexis.
Chleo didn't know what she was feeling, and she couldn't find out because her weeping diverted her thoughts at the moment. She cried all night, feeling tremendous guilt and regret that seemed to devour her soul from the inside.
She wanted to shed all the tears she had tonight with a rooted determination that she would meet her husband tomorrow morning and talk to him.
After her crying subsided, Chleo started thinking about what words she wanted to say to her husband. There was so much she wanted to say, and she wanted to start their married life from scratch.
Even though this marriage started because of coercion and threats, Axel has tried to fix it by giving all of his unconditional love.
Even as Chleo consistently rejected his advances, Axel was still willing to help her father's almost bankrupt company.
She wondered how much he had done to her without her knowledge, but all she saw was how cruel he was to take her by force and cut ties with her family.
How stupid she was!
Axel never gave up on her and waited patiently for her. The man continued to try tirelessly to repair their broken relationship ever since Axel threatened her.
Their life would not go well if it were only Axel, who tried to work things out. If Chleo wants to keep this marriage, she must assist her husband's effort.
Chleo had never appreciated this man's attempt to make her happy, and now she wants to embrace it. She just hopes that her husband is willing to give her a chance to try to be a good wife.
Axel said he was going to let her go. She didn't know when he would do it, but at least she still had time to change her husband's decision.
Chleo didn't know what time she fell asleep, and for the first time, she fell asleep with an expected heart to welcome the new day.